Antipicking device



T April Q1946. H B, UTT N 2,398,316

ANTIPICKI NG DEVICE Filed May 5, 1944 jiflLLiZZaZ INVENTOR.

' 'irramvz'rs Patented Apr. 9, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANTIPICKING DEVICE Haywood Barnett Litton, Dallas, Tex.

Application May 5, 1944, Serial No. 534,311

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an antipicking device to be applied to the beaks of poultry, to prevent cannibalism and feather-pulling among poultry.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which, when positioned on the beak of a chicken, will guard the end of the beak to prevent picking and the closing of the mouth of the chicken to grip and pull feathers, but will at the same time allow the chicken to eat feed used in feeding poultry.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guard of this character which will be exceptionally cheap to manufacture, and one which may be readily and easily applied without injury to the chicken.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing Figure l is a view illustrating an antipicking device or guard constructed in accordance with the invention, and showing the same as applied to the beak of a chicken.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the guard is constructed from a length of wire material bent upon itself to provide legs 5 and a beak loop 6, the beak loop 6 being extended at right angles to the legs 5.

As clearly shown by Fig. 2 of the drawing, the legs 5 contact at the loop, and diverge from the loop, the free ends of the legs being provided with eyes 1, the eyes 1 being in alignment to receive the cotter-pin 8 which is passed through the eye of one leg 5, and through the breather openings of the beak of the fowl, and thence through the opposite eye I, securing te guard in positionon the beak. The loop 6 is positioned over the beak of the fowl, and engages the beak at a point adjacent to the outer end thereof, the wire material being held between the beak and lower portion of the mouth of the fowl.

Thus it will be seen that due to this construction, the lower or movable portion of the mouth of the fowl cannot move into gripping relation with the beak'to grip feathers or pick poultry of the flock- While poultry equipped with guards constructed in accordance with the invention, cannot pull feathers or pick other poultry, said equipped poule try will be permitted to pick up grain or feed usually fed poultry.

In view of the foregoing disclosure, it is believed that further description, as to the use of the device is unnecessary.

What is claimed is:

An antipicking guard embodying a length of wire material bent intermediate the ends thereof, providing a loop member and leg members diverging from the loop member, said loop member being extended downwardly at right angles to the leg members and adapted to completely encircle the upper section of the beak of a fowl on which the guard is positioned, the free ends of the leg members having depending eyes, said leg members adapted to lie alongthe upper surface of the beak of the fowl, said eyes adapted to lie opposite to the breather openings of the fowl, and a cotter-pin adapted to be extended through the eyes of the leg members and breather openings of the fowl, securing the guard in position.

HAYWOOD BARNE'I'I LITTON. 

